Training panties



Dec. 5, 1933. ,1 H, LE CONEY 1,937,899

TRAINING PANTIES Filed Dec. 2, 1932 L mlu @mi HW ZZ r' IIN| l l l In 54Wil" 1 "uw 'I 451;, fm MUNI; I? [u l 44 f I I /M/E/v TUE: 325g J4. i. vmF1 g" Z ircwgf Bw A TTU/PA/EK Patented Dec. 5, 1933 UNITED STATESTRAINING PAN TIES Joseph H.-Le Coney, Bedford, Mass., assignor toEarnshaw Knitting Company, Newton, Mass., a corporation of MassachusettsApplication December 2, 1932. serial No. 645,383

' 2 claims. (ci. 2-224) This invention relates to garments for infantsand children and more particularly to what are known as training pantiesfor use by infants and children emerging from the diaper stage ofdressing.

It is generally customary when an infant attains the age of one year orthereabouts to change the mode of dressing it by discarding diapers. Itis preferable that this transition should be gradual so as to train andto accustom the infant to the responsibilities of the new mode ofdressing. This may be accomplished by the use of a trunk-like garmentput on for a while over the diapers which later are discarded.

The main object of the invention is the provision of a garment adaptedfor use on infants 1 and children when they attain the age at which theuse of diapers is normally discontinued in order to train them in selfcontrol.

Another object is the provision of a garment of the character describedwhich is of simple construction and easily put on and manipulated.

A further object is the provision of a garment having characteristicsespecially adapting it for use during the transitional period beforereferred Various other objects will be more specifically described andset forth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating one embodiment of theinvention, Figure 1 is a front View of a garment constructed inaccordance therewith, a portion being broken away to show the innerlayer of fabric and Figure 2 is a similar rear view of the garment. Thepreferred form of the invention disclosed in the drawings comprises alegless trunk structure having a forepart and a back part connectedtogether at the sides by stitching l0 and 12, preferably of elasticform. The forepart is made in four pieces, a center piece 14 and twoside pieces 16 and 18 connected to opposite sides of the center piece byelastic stitching 20 and 22 respectively. At their upper edges the threepieces are attached by elastic stitching 24 to a lfront waistband 26.

The rear part comprises three pieces, namely, a center piece 28, whichisshown as a continuation of the front center piece 14, and two sidepieces 30 and 32 attached to opposite sides of the center piece byelastic stitching 34 and 36 respectively.

The two ends of the front waist band are joined to the pieces 30 and 32by the side seams 12 and 10 respectively. Leg openings 38 and 40 areformed by cutting the various pieces on curved lines and these openingsare finished by the use of bands 42 and 44 respectively made of foldedmaterial having its two edges secured to the cut edges of the variouspieces at the leg openings by elastic stitching 46 and 48.

Although the front and back center pieces 14 and 28 are shown as beingcontinuous and of one piece of fabric, they may, if desired, be made intwo pieces stitched together at the crotch. Each center piece is widestjust above the crotch and from that point gradually diminished in width35 to its upper end.

The side pieces are all of single thickness but the center pieces 14 and28 are of double thickness of material being reenforced by inner centerpieces 50 and 52 respectively which are of 70 the same shape and size asthe centerpieces 14 and 28 and which comprise one piece of material. Thecenter portion of the garment, including the crotch portion, is ofdouble thickness.

The garment may be made of any suitable material but preferably knittedmaterial is used with the wales in the various parts running in thedirections indicated by the various shaded portions 54 in the drawing.The material is stretchable in directions perpendicular to thedirections of the wales and therefore the body of the garment isstretchable in a horizontal direction, the Y waistband in a verticaldirection and the leg openings in a direction longitudinally of the legopening bands. This insures a close fitting yet elastic and yieldinggarment which does not restrict the movements of a child nor cause itdiscomfort.

Since the front Waist band is non-elastic transversely of the body, lsecure the necessary elasticity in the'waist of the garment to permit it'to be easily put on or taken off by providing an elastic band 56mounted in the hemmed upper edge 58 of the back part. The two ends ofthe elastic 56 may be fastened at the sides of the 95 garment by theside seams l0 and 12 or-by additional stitching and the elastic issuiiciently short so that it is under a mild tension when the garment isworn and thereby serves to hold the garment in place at the waist line.

It willbe apparent that the reenforced center portion of the garmentwill if the occasion demands it perform the functions of a diaper andfor this purpose, the inner layer may, if desired, be made of heavier ormore closely knitted mate- 105 rial than the outer layer or of wovenmaterial.

The use of panties of this construction serves to train children to theexercise of self control and at the same time saves embarrassment.Furthermore, the garment is very easily manipulated, 110

having neither buttons nor other fastening means and a child may easilylearn to put on or take oil' or manipulate the garment as the occasiondemands.

It is to be understood that the invention may be embodied in other formsthan that herein shown and described and it is not to be limited exceptas set forth in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a garment of the character described, a legless trunk portion withwales running longitudinallyof the body to permit transversestretchability, the upper edge of the front part having a waistbandstretchable in a vertical direction but non-stretchable in a transversedirection and convexly curved on its lower edge and the center portionof the front, back and crotch parts being of double thickness ofmaterial and having upwardly converging edges on the front and back andthe top edge of the back part having a hem within which is mounted anelastic band the ends of which are fastened one to each side of saidtrunk portion to insure a close fit around the Waist of the wearer.

2. A legless trunk garment of the character described comprising a forepart and a back part stitched together at the sides to leave legopenings, said iore part comprising a waistband convexly curved on itslower edge and stretchable in a vertical direction but non-stretchablein a transverse direction, a center portion having upwardly convergingside edges and a side portion secured to each side edge of said centerportion, the upper ends of all said portions being secured to the loweredge of said waistband, and said back part comprising an upwardlyconverging center portion being an extension through the crotch of thecenter portion of said fore part and a side portion secured to each sideedge of said center portion, the top edge of said back part having a hemwithin which is mounted an elastic band the ends of which are fastenedone to each side of said trunk portion to insure a close fit around thewaist of the wearer, and all the portions of said fore part and saidback part with the exception of said waistband having Wales runninglongitudinally of the body to permit transverse stretchability.

JOSEPH H. LE CONEY.

